By Steven Enatu
SOROTI CITY
In a heart-warming display of community spirit, a group of youths has come together to organize a massive cleaning exercise in Soroti City, targeting the streets and public spaces spotless and inspiring pride among residents.
The exercise is organized by Youth Leading in Environmental Change- YLEC this Saturday, the 27th July 2024.
The exercise brought together hundreds of young volunteers who spent the day collecting trash, sweeping streets, and beautifying public areas.
Armed with gloves, trash bags, and a determination to make a difference, the group tackled litter-filled hotspots, transforming them into clean and welcoming spaces.
Kellin Apio is one of the young ladies from Obuku who participated in the exercise. She was inspired by the need to see and live in a clean environment. “When you’re in a dirty place, however smart you are, it jeopardizes your smartness and also it’s a threat to your life because diarrhea can easily break out. Now that we have cleaned, you can see its sparkling clean even the people who want to sit here, they can sit anywhere,” Kellin says.
The group’s efforts were met with enthusiasm from local residents, who expressed gratitude and admiration for the youths’ initiative. “These young people are setting a great example,” said Simon Okello, a passer-by.
Job Isaac Ilaborot Ocodio, the local council one chairperson Cell K senior quarters ward appreciated the initiative by YLEC saying it’s a facelift for the city.
Ilaborot says that the management of waste in the city is a big challenge since there are no gazetted dumping sites. He says many urban dwellers dump garbage anywhere without drawing examples of open spaces like sports grounds and behind the former voice of Teso Radio.
He called for more community sensitization to resolve the aspect of garbage litter in the city.
The clean-up exercise is part of a larger movement to promote community ownership and environmental responsibility among Soroti’s youth. Organizers hope to make the event a regular occurrence, inspiring others to join in and take pride in their city.
Denis Ikanza Success, head of field operation YLEC said they are inspired by the fact that Soroti city was previously cherished as one of the cleanest cities. “As time went on, it’s becoming dirty and dirty, “so as young people we needed to come out and be exemplary to our community by engaging in cleaning exercise” he said.
The aim is also to ensure that the community lives in a clean environment. After the cleaning exercise, the team sat at Soroti public gardens for a youth dialogue on how to maintain a clean city and environment. YLEC being a youth led organization focuses on smart approaches on environmental management and target’s youths in organized groups.
Beatrice Ruth Arigo is the supervisor for road gangs in the city. She was representing the health inspector Moses Amolo during the exercise. She expressed her gratitude to YLEC for the great initiative in helping keep Soroti clean.
“For sure people say the city used to be clean and now it’s dirty, the population today has more than tripled. The area that usually accumulates large volumes of garbage is gardens because it’s a public place; many people go and rest there” Arigo said.
She attributes poor garbage management in the city to massive vending happening in ungazetted areas within the city.
“These are the people littering the city. There are also people cooking everywhere in the city, chapati makers are everywhere. These are the people littering the city most” she noted.
Arigo asked the city council authority to embark on an operation that will see vendors go to gazetted places including people who are cooking. These she said will help in maintaining the city clean.
The Soroti city authority has introduced the polluter pay policy to manage garbage.
The city has partnered with companies like Asante waste management to manage the garbage on a polluter pays principle in City West and City East Divisions respectively.
Under the polluter pays, individuals, institutions, and businesses bear the cost of eliminating the waste garbage generated from their facilities. However, the city dwellers and business community seem not to have understood the principles clearly. This calls for more engagement and sensitization.
